Roonwear Haulin' Cargo Pants

My three-year-old son has been wearing these pants for hiking, camping, and general outdoor play for several months. Despite climbing all over rough granite rocks, scooting down boulders on his bottom, and otherwise being a very active outdoor kid in them, they show nearly no signs of wear. No snags, no frays, no stains, nothing. It’s pretty amazing.

The Haulin’ Cargo Pants have two layers: a soft, breathable Dri-release lining (85% polyester, 15% cotton) and a windproof, water resistant outer shell. It can be tough to find appropriate outdoor clothes for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, so it’s great to have another option besides fleece pants or stiff nylon wind pants for him to wear on our hikes and when camping.

The Haulin’ Cargo Pants are a great cool weather pant for little kids, although we’ve also used them hiking in the mountains in summer without any complaint. They’re roomy enough that we could add a baselayer underneath when it gets colder. They’re also very soft and comfortable and the elastic waistband makes it quite easy for my son to pull them on and off on his own.

At $34.99 they are not cheap, but that’s really the point of this review. They’re not cheap pants; they’re very tough and well constructed and absolutely superior to any other outdoor pants our son has used. If you buy these they will work for most cool-weather outings, short of heavy rain or snow. I expect them to last for more than one kid and still look good.

Based on our experience with the Haulin’ Cargo Pants I would not hesitate to buy other Roonwear clothing. You get what you pay for and I’d rather buy one pair of these pants than three cheap pairs that don’t last.

We also have a pair of Roonwear’s Smiley Socks made from Dri-release. They are my favorite kids’ socks for warm weather hiking, since they are thin, lightweight, and fit my son’s shoes better than the thicker wool and synthetic ones we have.

Finally, since my son is the one who actually wears the pants and socks, I figured he should give his own opinion too. Here’s what he said:

Me: How do you like your pants?
Son: Good. I want to keep them.

What are they good for?
For walking around. They’re also good for hiking. Mommy, they’re hiking pants!

Are they comfortable?
Yeah. I like them.

Are they hard or soft or scratchy?
Soft.

Do you like the color (green with orange stitching)?
Yeah.

Do they fit right? Are they too big or too small?
They fit right. They’re medium sized.

Do you like the socks?
Yeah. I do.

What do you like about the socks?
They’re cool.

What do they have on them?
Smiles and eyes. See. Smiles and eyes. Mommy, they have eyes and smiles.

Is that a good thing to have on socks?
Yeah.

These pants have done well for my daughter. She has hiked in the mud and snow, staying warm and dry. They clean up quite well which is nice given how muddy a 4-year-old gets on a hike.